New Horizons Nigeria, a technology training firm, has launched a ₦50 million initiative aimed at removing Almajiri children from the streets by equipping them with practical technical skills.
The Managing Director of New Horizons Nigeria (NHN), Mr. Tim Akano, disclosed this on Monday at the official launch of the Almajiri-to-Tech programme in Abuja.
It seeks to train 20 Almajiri children as computer and electronics technicians within 90 days.The fully funded programme will provide beneficiaries with hands-on technical training, meals, clothing, tools, and logistics support at no cost to the participants.
Akano said the initiative is a personal and corporate response to a long-standing social problem he believes must be urgently addressed.
According to Akano, the programme represents a return to the original purpose of the Almajiri education system, which he described as children being sent out to seek knowledge and skills.
“The word Almajiri comes from an Arabic term meaning emigrant and seeker of knowledge. Historically, children were sent to learn morals, responsibility, and skills to add value to society,” he explained.
He blamed the distortion of the system on colonial disruptions, which he said forced the children onto the streets to fend for survival a situation that has persisted to date.
Warning of the dangers of inaction, Akano noted that Nigeria has an estimated 15 million Almajiri children, with a population growth rate of about three per cent annually.
“If we do not solve this problem as a country, we are sitting on a time bomb,” he warned.
He said the programme focuses strictly on practical skills rather than theory. Trainees will learn to repair mobile phones, laptops, televisions, radios, standing fans, and other electronic devices, as well as build inverter batteries using recycled electronic waste.
Akano assured beneficiaries that the training would not interfere with their Islamic education.
“We are not teaching theory. We are teaching practical skills you can use to earn a living.This programme will not stop your Quranic education. You will still have time to pray and study. Whenever you want to pray, you pray and come back to class,” he said .
He added that participants will receive daily meals, drinking water, branded T-shirts identifying them as technicians-in-training, and unrestricted access to tools and equipment throughout the programme.
Akano said New Horizons Nigeria has spent the last 21 years training about 100,000 Nigerians annually in IT and related skills, noting that the Almajiri-to-Tech initiative is part of a broader mission to convert untapped human potential into productive capital.
According to him, empowering Almajiri children with skills could add up to 15 million people to Nigeria’s workforce and potentially increase the country’s GDP by as much as $20 billion.
He called on government, private sector organisations, and well-meaning individuals to support and replicate similar initiatives nationwide.
“This is not just about 20 children. It is about showing Nigeria what is possible when resources meet intention and planning.If we succeed, we demonstrate that Nigeria can turn social challenges into economic opportunities. This is a blueprint for the future,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Fatima Umar, expressed gratitude to the organisers and pledged to make the most of the opportunity.
“We will make you proud of us. We thank and appreciate you. May Almighty Allah continue to guide and protect you,” she said.
